Means for forming a tufted fabric having different heights of tufting thereon



. Nov. 29, 1960 2,961,982

J. -H. WEAR MEANS FOR FORMING A TUFTED FABRIC HAVING DIFFERENT HEIGHTS OF TUFTING-1THEREION Filed Jan. 24:,y 1958 "3 Sheets-Sheet 1 7' TORNEYJ Nov. 29, 1960 2,961,982

J, H. WEAR I MEANS FOR FORMING A TUFTED FABRIC HAVING Filed Jan. 24, 1958 DIFFERENT HEIGHTS OF' TUFTING THEREON 3 Sheets-Sheet .2

INVENTOR.

By JOHN H. wAR

A TTRNE YJ' Nov. 29, 1960 J. H. WEAR 2,961,982

MEANS Fox FoRMINc A TUFTED FABRIC HAVING DIFFERENT HEIGHTS oF TUFTING THEREoN Filed Jan. 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .TOHN H. WEAR 2,961,982 noarch 1mi G A .fri un "n FABRIC HAVING DIFFERENT HEIGHTS or TUFTING rHEREoN John H. Wear, Fairmount, Ga., assignor to Russell-Lacey Manufacturing Company, Inc., a corporation of Georgia Filed Jan. 24, 1953, Ser. No. 710,932

'3 Claims. (Cl. 11279) This invention relates generally to tufting machines of the type arranged for inserting tuft loops in a fabric base, and more particularly to a novel method and means for forming tufted fabrics with machines of this sort while uniquely providing the tufting on the fabrics in different heights according to any desired pattern arrangement.

Briefly described, the method and means of thepresent invention is characterized by the insertion of tuft loops in a -base fabric with a reciprocating needle, while selectively varying the stroke Vof the needle in accordance with the dierent heights of tufting desired, and while selectively taking each inserted tuft loop from the needle at the height determined by the needle stroke. By this arrangement it is possible to obtain Sculptured tufting effects in a very simple and advantageous manner, .as well as to provide for varying readily the tufting height from one 4fabric lot to another without any interruption in production 'for changing over the tufting machines as is commonly necessary.

The present invention is described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of a tufting machine arranged according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an lenlarged fragmentary plan detail of the cam means provided yfor selectively setting the needle stroke;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding fragmentary plan 'detail showing the cam means of Fig. 2 `at a differently set position;

Fig. 4 is a left end view of the tufting machine shown in Fig. 1, and showing the operating crank means set for a relatively long needle stroke;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding end view of the tufting machine with the crank mechanism set for a relatively short needle stroke;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged 'sectional detail of the crank means showing the elements thereof as set for a relatively long needle stroke in correspondence with Fig. 4;

Fig'. 7 is a generally corresponding sectional detail showing the crank means as set for a relatively short .needle stroke in correspondence with Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an 'elevation of the crank means corresponding generally to Fig. 6 as seen from the left therein;

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the crank means corresponding generally to Fig. 7 as seen from the left therein;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the manner in which tuft loops are inserted according to the present invention with a relatively short needle stroke; and

Fig. 11 is a generally corresponding detail showing the selective' insertion of tuft loops with a relatively long needle stroke.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly at first to Fig. 1, the illustrated embodiment of the present invention comprises a tufting head of conventional form, as indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, arranged with a base portion 12 which extends forwardly to a work support at 14, and a supporting arm portion 16 in which a drive shaft 18 is journalled.

t ttes `Pate 2 The drive shaft '1s is 'fitted with the usual hand wheel zo and drive pulley 22 at its rear end, and carries at it"s forward end a special crank mechanism 2 4', as. indicated generally by the reference numeral 24, through which provision is made for tufting fabrics in different heights according to the present invention as is described further below.

, The tufting head 10 also has a presser foot 26 arranged thereon at the forward end of the supporting arm ,portion 16 for raising and lowering by a control lever 26 in the conventional manner (see Figs. 4 and 5) for pressing work downwardly on the work support 14 to provide for moving the work transversely across the work support 14` during the tufting operation by conventional work feeding means such as is indicated in Figs. V4 and 5 at v28. The forward end of the tufting head supporting `arm portion 16 is also arranged in the usual manner for carrying a reciprocable needle bar 30 fitted with a needle 32 for inserting tuft loops in material positioned on the work support 14.

Reciprocation of the needle bar 30 for insertion of tuft loops by the needle 32 is eifected through the previously mentioned crank mechanism 24 which comprises, as further illustrated in Figs. 6, v7, 8 and 9, a crank plate 34 secured on theforward end of the drive shaftfl and diametrically slotted to receive a slide member 36 that is maintained in place thereon by a cover Vplate 38. The slide member 36 is assembled with the vcrank plat`e34 at side edge notches40 which have a depth corresponding to lug portions 42 formed inwardly on the crank plate 34 at the diametrically slotted slideway in which the slide member 36 is received thereon.. TheV side edge slide member notches 40 are further for-med in a length sufficient to accommodate biasing springs 44 therein Y for bottom ing on the crank plate lug portions 42 and normally maintaining the `slide member36 positioned by these lug portions 42 as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, but also providing for shifting of the slide member 36 diametrically with respect to the crank plate 34 to a position such as is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 9.

The cover plate 38 is notched at 46 so as to "expose a portion of the slide member 36 for carrying a crank pin 4S 'thereon from which ,a connecting rod 50 may be extended inthe usual mannertothe needle bar 30. By such an arrangement, it will be seen that the diametc position of the slide member 36 with 'respect to the crank plate 34 will determine the throw ofthe crank mechanism 24 which in turn will control the reciprocating stroke of the needle bar 30 and consequently the height or the length of tuft loop inserted by the needle 32.

In order to provide for shifting the slide member 36 diametrically on the crank plate 34 so as to establish 'a different position thereforthan is normally maintained by the biasing springs 44, the slide member 36 is formed with a camming aperture 52 in alignment with a camming rod 54 which is disposed to extend lengthwise through the drive shaft 18 at a central bore provided therein. The forward end of the camming rod 54 is shaped 'as illustratedat 56 for entering the slide member caminihg aperture 52 so as to displace the slide member 36 against the force of the biasing springs 44 to the position vshown in Fig. 7, while allowing the slide member 36 .to return to its normally biased Fig. 6 position upony withdrawal from 4the camming aperture 52. To operate the camming rod S4 for displacement or release of the slide, member 52 in the above noted manner, a settable'cam member 58 is mounted on a suitable bracket -rneans `60 at the rear end of the tufting head 10 to act on the rearwardly extending end of the camming rod 54 which extends beyond the drive shaft 18 and may be suitably biased with respect thereto for following the cam member 58 so as to be set selectively in a displacing or releasing position at will.

The result of this arrangement is to provide for a relatively long needle stroke when the slide member 36 is at lits normally biased positionas seen inFig.- 4, and alternately to obtain a relatively short needle stroke when the slide member 36 is shifted toits displaced position as seen in Fig. 5, and the needle 32 may accordingly be made to insert a tufting yarn y -in a fabric base B to form relavtively short tufts t as seen in Fig. l0, or changed Whenelement 62, in relation to which a knife element 64 operates in the illustrated embodiment to cut the inserted yarn loops so that the tufts t and t' become so-called .chenille ends, although loopers might otherwise be arranged in conventional form to maintain the tufts t and t' as loops if desired.

The looper element 62 and knife element 64 are arrange on rock shafts 62 and 64' that are carried on a vertically shiftable cross head member 66 and are connected thereon for related operation through a conventional linkage system (not shown). The cross head member 66 is fitted for vertical shifting with a shank member 68 extending downwardly through spaced slide bearings 70 carried on a mounting bracket 72. Between the spaced slide bearing 70, the shank member 68 carries a ixed collar 74 and a biasing spring 76 bottomed at the lower slide bearing 70 to bear upwardly on the collar 74 and thereby normally maintain the cross head 66 positioned for disposing the looper element 62 and knife element 64 for taking tuft loops t from the needle 32 at the relatively ,short length or height determined by the relatively short needle stroke.

In order to shift the cross head 66 for disposing the 'looper element 62 and knife element 64 in comparable relation to the relatively long needle stroke for taking the relatively long inserted tuft loops t', the cross head shank member 68 may suitably be fitted with a pull rod as illustrated fragmentarily at 78 for connection to a foot pedal control or the like for pulling the cross head 66 downwardly against the force of the biasing spring 76 to a shifted position at which it bottoms on the adjacent slide bearing 70. Alternatively, a common operating means might be provided for shifting the crank mechanism slide member 36, and looper means cross head 66 from a single operating control if desired.

The arrangement for actuating the looper element 62 and knife element 64 employs the usual arrangement of a countershaft 80 operated from the drive shaft 18 through a sprocket chain connection 82 and fitted with a cam for oscillating the rock shafts 62 and 64 through a slotted cam follower 86 which allows vertical shifting of the cross head 66 inthe manner noted above while still maintaining the operating connection with the countershaft 80.

The dilerent heights of tufting that are obtainable according to the present invention as described above may be obtained similarly in other types of tufting mechanisms than the one particularly illustrated. Any number of tufting needles 30 may be employed, and a plurality of tufting needles might be advantageously aranged in some instances for alternate operation in accordance with copending application which issued as Patent No. 2,832,301, while being operated with a selective stroke in accordance with the present invention.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as deiined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tufting machine, a needle bar mounted for reciprocation and carrying a tuft loop inserting needle, a rotatable crank plate having a diametric slot formed therein, a slide member shiftably mounted in said crank plate slot, means for rotating said crank plate, a connecting rod connected to said slide member to reciprocate said needle bar, abutment means at said crank plate slot engageable with the slide member to position it with respect to the crank plate, spring means mounted on said crank plate normally positioning the slide member in engagement with said abutment means, and means rotatable with said crank plate for selectively shifting the position of the slide member in the crank plate slot away from said abutment meansand thereby selectively varying the length of tuft loops inserted by said needle.

2. In a tufting machine, the structure defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that the means for selectively shifting the position of the slide member includes a camming aperture in said slide member, a camming rod having a tapered end engageable in said camming aperture to shift the slide member with respect to the `crank"plate against the urging of the spring, and means for selectively positioning the camming rod with respect to the camming aperture.

3. In a tufting machine, a needle bar mounted for reciprocation and carrying a tuft loop inserting needle, crank means for reciprocating said needle bar, means for selectively varying the throw of said crank means and thereby selectively varying the length of tuft loops inserted by said needle, loop taking means for taking inserted tuft loops from said needle, means for selectively shifting said loop taking means in the direction of the axis on which said needle bar reciprocates to position said loop taking means in accordance with the selected length of tuft loops inserted by said needle, and means for operating said loop taking means including a rotating eccentric and a cam follower connected to said loop taking means and engaging said eccentric to drive the loop taking means, said cam follower having an eccentric engaging surface extending in the direction of shifting and of sufficient length to remain in following contact with the eccentric when the loop taking means has been shifted.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 718,988 Dial et al. Ian. 27, 1903 1,855,175 Braudes Apr. 26, 1932 2,005,656 Lasztoczy June 18, 1935 2,161,579 Kaier June 6, 1939 2,365,013 Sharkey et al. Dec. 12, 1944 2,370,383 Wallace et al Feb. 27, 1945 2,411,268 Hamrick Nov. 19, 1946 2,693,778 Harris Nov. 9, 1954 2,824,532 Scheibel Feb. 25, 1958 2,827,866 Penman Mar. 25, 1958 2,837,045 Gilford June 3, 1958 2,850,994 Crawford Sept. 9, 1958 2,853,965 Platt Sept. 30, 1958 2,882,845 Hoeselbar'th Apr. 21, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,006 Denmark Sept. 15, 1919 

